Pride
by Blinded-Kit
Summary: Part of the Contract series. Darcy goes in to do some work for Global Dynamics and gets stuck with Nathan Stark in his office for several hours. AU to where Nathan doesn't die.


Part of the Contract Series

One-Shot

Own Nothing

* * *

><p>"You're an ass." Darcy stated as she crossed her arms. "A giant ass."<p>

Nathan Stark rolled his eyes as he glanced over his shoulder at her. "So you've said."

"Sheriff Carter, how long do we have to stay in here?" Darcy asked the speaker on the wall.

"Henry thinks for another two hours." Jack stated. "Try not to kill him Darce."

Darcy sighed as she sat down at the table and glared at the man sitting at his desk before she pulled out her Stark phone. She set in upright on the table and watched as it formed a keyboard hologram. She pulled out her tablet and set it up adjacent to it. She had a lot of work to do and she hadn't planned on spending the last four hours with this insufferable man. She wasn't excited about the next two but his office was on lock down and the whole system had to be rebooted after an explosion just after lunch. She opened up her password protected folders in her tablet and began to work.

"What are you doing?" He asked with idle curiosity.

"Working." Darcy mumbled as she pulled out a simple paper notepad to scribble on. "I can't afford to lose any more time."

"That's right, you're the head of your Inter-Agency Division." Nathan stated as he watched her.

"I am the only one." She replied as she quickly sent a reply. "It's a one person job."

He arched an eyebrow. "Did you always want to do this? Connect people?"

She shrugged as she started on a report about the events in Vancouver with Liber8. "I started out as a scientist wrangler." She replied as she scribbled down a note on her notepad. "It was my job to make sure the scientists on my rotation took breaks, eat, sleep and took care of themselves."

"That seems admirable." Nathan stated. "You must be good at science."

Darcy snorted. "I have a major in Political Science Dr. Stark. I was the only one to apply for the internship for Dr. Foster."

"Well, her theories were." He stopped to find the right words. "They were out there."

"So if every ground breaking scientists, before they break ground." Darcy replied. "I connect to people easy, and before I knew it, I started a new division. S.H.I.E.L.D. has always had a liaison division, but that was basically telling local law enforcement where to shove it." She finished the report and started on another one.

"So with them still down, what will you do now?" He asked her.

Darcy rolled her neck and glanced at the speaker on the wall, hoping for some good news. "I don't know what you're fishing for Dr. Stark."

"I have read your contract." He replied. "Whatever you are getting paid by my cousin, I can double it." He gave her a look. "Triple it."

She shook her head. "I don't work like that." She gave him a look. "I can be release from my contract if a better offer comes along and yes, now technically with S.H.I.E.L.D down it is voided. I have no contract." She turned back to her tablet. "Each agency pays me differently and yes most of paycheck comes from SI. Because I still try to do my job when I'm there, I'm training other interns to take care of Dr. Foster and Dr. Banner."

"I could give you a steady paycheck." He replied.

She snorted and raised an eyebrow at him. "You're really trying to break on a sweat on this one aren't you?"

"I have another hour and a half to win you over Lewis." He replied, his eyes narrowed in on her. "I have time to 'break a sweat on it', as you said."

She sighed and went back to her tablet. "You can try." She opened up an email to J and gave him a debriefing on everything that was going on and that she missed the pie in New York. She sent it off and looked up to see the Nathan Stark had moved to sit across from her at the table. "Can I help you?" She asked in a flat tone.

"Think of this logically." He started. "You need a base of operations here on the West coast. Someplace you can trust and you can use to its full abilities."

"You want me to call Global Dynamics my home?" She asked him as she leaned on the table. "You have geniuses and scientists out the wazoo and you want me to bring my secret, shady government work here, to what? Be hacked and attacked on a daily basis?"

"We can set up with a secure office and firewall." He replied without skipping a beat. "We can set up JARVIS or SARAH or whatever AI you want in your office and you work in peace there."

Darcy arched an eyebrow at him and frowned. "Why do you want me so badly?"

Nathan returned her frown with a serious look and leaned back in his seat and stared at her. "Because I know someone of good quality when I see one. I can see from your records that you are a hard worker, you can befriend any agency and let's be honest I've seen you talk down to the Director of Defense just three days ago like he was a child."

She gave him a look. "If you're going to act like a child, I'll treat you like one."

"Said the woman who called me an ass just half an hour ago." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes as she glanced at the email J sent back in reply. She sighed and turned off her tablet and the keyboard off on her phone and put them both away. She tucked her paper notepad in the front pocket of her bag. "Well I don't lie."

Nathan gave her a smirk. "You tell the truth all the time?"

She laughed as she remembered a similar conversation. "94.6% of the time."

His smirk turned into a smile. "Good, then you won't mind telling me why you don't want to move here?"

"Hey guys, this is sweet and all." Jack's voice filtered through the speakers. "But we can get you out now." The door slid open a moment after.

"Look at that." Darcy smiled as she grabbed her bag and stood up. "Save by the bell." She waked briskly out of the room and towards the Sheriff, Henry and Allison. "Thanks for the save." Darcy whispered as she passed Jack.

He chuckled. "Anytime." He walked out after her after waving to Henry and Allison. "You know he's just going to keep hounding you about moving here."

"Well if he just wants to ask me out, then he should." Darcy shrugged as they walked out of the main building and to parking. "Besides, he hasn't said anything that interest me."

Jack gave her a look as he got into the driver side of his jeep and Darcy in the passenger. "I'll take you back to the Inn. Try to behave."

She laughed and shook her head. "I aim to misbehave."

* * *

><p>….<p>

That night she sat at the diner drinking a beer and trying to relax. She let the crowd's voices and movement wash over her like rain as she sipped her beverage. "I figured I would find you here." Nathan stated as he sat across from her.

Darcy sighed and opened her eyes and stared at him. "I'm off duty." She stated as she finished her beer and waved to Vincent for another one.

"I can see that." Nathan replied. "I'm not here about work."

"Here you go Darcy." Vincent set a cold glass of beer in front of her. "Can I get you anything Dr. Stark?"

"I am craving some pie Vincent." Nathan stated after a glance at Darcy. "Care to join me in a slice Darcy?" He asked her, her name just rolled off his tongue.

"I'm trying to cut down on desserts actually." Darcy gave him a small smile.

"More for me than." He looked at Vincent. "Your best pie then." Vincent nodded and walked away quickly. "So you and Sheriff Carter seem close."

"He used to pick me up at lot. He hung out with my older brother growing up and when Riley went and joined the Army, Jack joined the US Marshals. I was a trouble child."

"Where's your brother now?" Nathan asked as a waitress dropped off his usual cup of coffee at their table.

"He died, overseas. I work with one of his friends, Sam, occasionally."

"I'm sorry." Nathan took a sip of his coffee. "I didn't know."

"Yes you did." She replied. "It's been three hours since I left your office, you had more than enough time to do a complete background check on me. You know my full name, my birthdate, and social, probably what my birthmark is."

"Trick question, you don't have one." He replied as Vincent brought him his pie. He quietly set down an extra spoon and smiled before walking back to the kitchen. "That's nice of Vincent to bring another spoon."

"What do you want Nathan?" She asked him as she leaned forward on the table.

"What I want, is to eat this pie. Maybe with you." He slid the spoon over to her. "And maybe share a bottle of wine, or maybe even a glass of whiskey. Whatever is your taste over dinner at my place later?"

Darcy picked up the spoon and scooped up a bite of pie and ate it. Her eyes lit up at the taste. "This is amazing." She could taste the right amount of tartness in the berries.

He smirked at her. "We could be amazing."

Darcy snorted back laughter. "Oh my Thor, did you really just say that?" She covered her mouth as she stared at him. "You're out of practice aren't you?"

He stared at her and smirked. "Not as much as you think."

"Really?" She arched an eyebrow. "Okay, what's your endgame then?"

"My place, dinner." He started. "More alcohol. Maybe some light music and maybe I can convince you to take a look at homes here."

She rolled her eyes again. "I thought this wasn't about work?"

"You can't have vacation without work." He replied as he scooped up a spoonful. "Maybe that's what you need, a vacation."

"A vacation home in Eureka?" Darcy asked. "That can double as what, a second base of operations?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you do in your own home, is your own."

Darcy sighed and stared down at the pie. "I will talk to Tony and see what we can do. Maybe we can arrange a science alliance or something between GD and SI."

"That seems fair." Nathan smiled. "Now, are you going to share this pie with me?"

"Hell yeah." Darcy laughed as she scooped another spoonful.


End file.
